Eritrea Accuses UAE of Port-Based Colonialism in Horn of Africa

Asmara has delivered a rare public broadside against one of the Gulf region's most active powers, accusing the United Arab Emirates of systematically acquiring strategic port and logistics assets across the Horn of Africa in a pattern that it describes as "a modern form of colonialism dressed in commercial clothing."

The Eritrean government's statement, released through state media, specifically cited UAE military access arrangements at Berbera port in Somaliland, commercial concessions at Bosaso in Puntland, and active discussions about Eritrea's own Assab port — the last point touching directly on Eritrea's red line about national sovereignty.

The UAE has significantly expanded its strategic footprint across the Horn since 2015, initially under the cover of anti-piracy operations and then through the DP World port management juggernaut, which now operates or has concessions at Berbera, Bosaso and Djibouti's Doraleh container terminal. Abu Dhabi's strategy appears to be the creation of a chain of logistics and military access points across one of the world's most strategically vital maritime chokepoints.

For Kenya, the development has indirect implications. Mombasa port competes for East African transit traffic with UAE-managed facilities in Djibouti and the expanding Berbera alternative. Any disruption to the geopolitical balance in the Red Sea — already unsettled by Houthi attacks on commercial shipping since late 2023 — directly affects Kenya's export competitiveness and import costs.

Foreign Affairs CS Mudavadi declined to comment directly on the Eritrea-UAE dispute, but reiterated Kenya's long-standing support for "the sovereignty of all African nations and dialogue-based resolution of regional tensions." Diplomatic analysts in Nairobi noted that Kenya's deepening economic ties with the UAE — including a labour mobility agreement — make it a difficult actor to involve as a neutral mediator.